Drive mechanism for comber brush



1955 RYOSUKE HATTORI 8,217,365

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR COMBER BRUSH Filed April 10, 1962 United States Patent DRIVE MECHANISM FOR COMBER BRUSH Ryosuke Hattori, 220 Oaza Nishi Imashuku Aza Gonai, Jinmokuji-machi, Ania-gun, Aichi-ken, Japan Filed Apr. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 186,411

Claims priority, application Japan, Apr. 12, 1961,

36/115,006 1 Claim. (Cl. 19-218) This invention relates to combers for textile fibers, and more particularly it relates to comber-brush mechanism for removing refuse matter such as short fibers which, through the combing of sliver laps, become entwined about the needles of the comber cylinders.

A cylinder of a comber generally has a half-lap wherein a plurality of needle bars, each having a large number of needles fixed thereto in a row on one side surface of its outer edge portion, are fixed in parallel rows arranged in an arc. The outer edges of the needle bars, being closely spaced form, essentially, the outer peripheral surface of the needle segment of the comber cylinder. This outer peripheral surface thus formed has a varying radius as measured from the axis of rotation of the cylinder, the said radius increasing gradually along the needle segment in the direction of rotation. The aforesaid needles are positioned to protrude from this outer peripheral surface in such a manenr that the tips of the needles of all needle bars lie on the periphery of an imaginary circular cylinder which has as its centerline the axis of rotation of the comber cylinder. Accordingly, the height of the needles as meaesured from the surface of the needle segment gradually decreases in the direction of rotation of the comber cylinder.

When the comber cylinder combs a sliver lap, refuse such as short fibers tends to cling to the aforesaid needles. Conventionally, this refuse has been removed by brushing the comber cylinder by means of a rollertype comber brush which rotates at high speed in the direction counter to that of the cylinder. However, since the distance between the cylinder shaft and the comberbrush shaft has heretofore been constant, the cleaning action of the comber brush with respect to the needle has varied from the leading to the trailing edge of the needle segment as viewed in the rotational direction. Thus, in conventional combers, the tips of the bristles of the comber brush cannot reach the root portions of the longer needles located near the leading edge. Consequently, the cleaning action becomes incomplete, and refuse tends to accumulate in the corner formed by the front surface of the needles and the upper edge surface of each needle bar. Conversely, although the bristle tips of the comber brush reach the root portions of the shorter needles located neaer the trailing edge of the segment, the bristles have excessive length with respect to this part of the cylinder and, upon striking the outer end edge surfaces of the needle bars, are bent excessively. Consequently, the comber brush tends to be damaged, and its cleaning performance is rapidly lowered.

As a result, the combing action of the comber cylinder is caused to become even more defective, and refuse such as short fibers in nap form which has clung to the needles without being removed becomes mixed with the product, thereby lowering the quality of the product. For this reason it has been necessary, hitherto, to stop the operation of the machine frequently in order to clean the cylinder. Such a necessity, of course, lowers the work efficiency of the machine.

It is an object of the invention to provide, in a comber of the type described above, a mechanism capable of maintaining a constant positional relationship between the tips of the bristles of the comber brush and the outer 3,217,365 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 peripheral surface of the cylinder segment formed by the outer edge surfaces of the needle bars.

Attainment of the above object produces the advantages of being able to prevent damage to the comber brush and of being able to insure uniform cleaning of the cylinder by the brush. Attainment of the above object, furthermore, enables thorough removal of such refuse as short fibers which become entwined about the needles of the cylinder; hence, stopping of the machine for cleaning becomes unnecessary, and the Work efliciency is thereby increased.

According to the present invention, the above object has been attained by the employment of a comber which is provided with a drive mechanism for moving the comber-brush shaft in accordance with the aforedescribed variation of radius of the outer peripheral surface of the needle-carrying cylinder segment. This drive mechanism comprises, essentially, at least one cam fixed to the cylinder shaft, a rocker shaft which is rotatably supported by the machine frame and has fixed thereto two arms which support the brush shaft, and at least one follower which is fixed to the brush shaft and engages the aforesaid cam.

The nature of the invention, its details, and the manner in which the above-stated object, as well as other objects and advantages which will presently become apparent, may best be achieved will be more clearly apparent by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which like parts are designated by like reference characters and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial elevational view showing the essential parts of a comber cylinder;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, with parts cut away, showing the arrangement of the essential parts of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, illustrating in diagrammatic form, a cam and a follower forming part of an embodiment of the comber-brush drive according to the invention; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are elevational views illustrating, again in diagrammatic form, the operation of the comber-brush drive shown in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a comber cylinder S comprises a cylinder shaft 1, a cylinder body 2 fixed to the shaft 1, a cylinder segment or half-lap 3 of semi-cylindrical form which is fixed to the cylinder body 2, a segment 4 fixed to the cylinder body 2 on the side opposite the half-lap 3, a plurality of needle bars 6 which are supported in a close array on the cylinder half-lap 3, and a bank of needles 5 fixed to the same sides of the outer edge portions of the needle bars 6. The outer edge surfaces of the needle bars 6, because of their mutual proximity and alignment, form, in effect, one portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder S. This outer peripheral surface has a varying radius as measured from the axis of rotation of the cylinder S, the said radius increasing gradually as viewed in the direction of rotation of the cylinder, i.e. clockwise in FIG. 1 as indicated by the arrow. The needles 5 are set to protrude outwardly from the outer cylinder surface to such an extent that their tips lie on the periphery of an imaginary circular cylinder where centerline coincides with the axis of rotation of the cylinder S. Accordingly, the heights of the needles 5 as measured from the aforesaid outer cylinder surface gradually decreases in the direction of rotation of the cylinder.

As indicated in FIG. 2, the cylinder S is rotatably supported by the cylinder shaft 1 supported in bearings 8 fixed to the machine frame 7. The torque of a driving shaft 10 is transmitted to the cylinder shaft 1 through 3 a gear 11 fixed to the driving shaft 10 and a gear 9 which is fixed to the cylinder shaft 1 and meshes with the gear 11.

A rocker shaft 12 is rotatably supported, parallel to the cylinder shaft 1, by the machine frame 7. Arms 13 are fixed to the two ends of this rocker shaft 12 and support, at their free ends, a brush shaft 15 so that the latter can swing parallel to the cylinder shaft 1. A comber brush 14 of known type with radiating bristles is fixed concentrically to this brush shaft 15. A gear 16 is fixed to one end of the brush shaft 15 and meshes with an idler gear 17 which is supported in a freely rotatable manner on the rocker shaft 12. By the above arrangement, the meshed engagement between the gears 16 and 17 is constantly maintained when the brush shaft 15 swings about the rocker shaft 12.

An intermediate shaft 19, to one end of which is fixed a gear 18 meshed with the idler gear 17, is supported in bearings fixed to the machine frame 7. A chain sprocket 20 is fixed to the other end of this intermediate shaft 19. The driving shaft 10 also has a chain sprocket 21 fixed thereto, and torque is transmitted from the driving shaft 10 by way of this sprocket 21, a chain 22 engaging this sprocket 21 and the sprocket 20, and the sprocket 20 to the counter shaft 19, from which the power is further transmitted through the three gears 18, 17, and 16 to the brush shaft 15, thereby rotating the comber brush 14 at high speed in the direction counter to that of the cylinder S.

A cam 23 is fixed to the cylinder shaft 1 on its end opposite that to which the gear 9 is fixed. A follower 24 of lever type, which is fixed to one end of the rocker shaft 12, is adapted to contact through a roller, at its upper end, the surface of the cam 23, being urged constantly into engagement with the cam 23 by the force of a spring 25 stretched between the other end of the follower 24 and a part of the machine frame 7. Accordingly, the rocking motion of the follower 24 in accordance with the configuration of the cam 23 causes the rocker shaft 12, the'two arms 13, the brush shaft 15 and the comber brush 14 to rock, whereby the comber brush 14 is caused to approach to and withdraw from the cylinder S in a manner predetermined by the configuration of the cam 23.

As indicated in FIG. 3, the cam 23 has a sloping ridge rising toward a peak A from a base B. The cam 23 is so formed that the angle between the radii of the points A and B is substantially the same as the angle 0 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4, between the limiting radii a and b of the peripheral surface of the needle segment, of the cylinder S, formed by the outer edge surfaces of the needle bars 6 shown in FIG. 1. As indicated in FIG. 5, when the follower 24 contacts the short-radius base part B of the cam 23, the long-radius leading edge b of the needle segment of the cylinder S is caused to confront the comber brush 14. When the follower 24 contacts the long-radius peak A of the cam 23, the short-radius trailing edge a of the needle segment of the cylinder S is caused to confront the comber brush 14 as shown in FIG. 4. It is desirable that the tips of the bristles of the comber brush 14 contact the peripheral surface of the needle segment or be so positioned that an extremely small distance is left between them and that surface.

Accordingly, the configuration of the cam 23 is so designed that, while the needle segment and the comber brush 14 are in mutual confrontation, the surface of the segment and the orbit of the bristle tips of the comber brush are maintained in a fixed relative position.

As an advantageous result, excessive contact between the comber-brush bristles and the needle support is prevented, damage to the comber brush is avoided and the cleaning action of the comber brush is effective over the entire height of all needles.

Although this invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it is not to be so limited as changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a comber for textile fibers comprising a cylinder with a segment having a peripheral surface of progressively changing radius, drive means for rotating said cylinder about its axis, a bank of needles supported on said segment and projecting beyond said surface, said needles being of a height whichvaries inversely with said radius whereby the tips of said needles lie on the periphery of an imaginary cylinder centered on said axis, a roller brush adjacent said cylinder provided with bristles adapted to reach between said needles and with a shaft parallel to said axis, and transmission means for rotating said shaft and brush at a rate which is high with reference to the rotary speed of said cylinder, the combination therewith of movable support means for said shaft and mechanism coupled with said drive means and said support means for progressively varying the distance between said shaft and said axis during movement of said segment past said brush to an extent maintaining the orbit of said bristles in a fixed position with reference to said peripheral surface; said support means comprising a rocker shaft parallel to the brush shaft, a pair of arms extending radially from said rocker shaft and bearing means for said brush shaft on said arms whereby said brush is swingable about said rocker shaft, said transmission means including an idler gear on said rocker shaft coupled with said drive means and a driven gear on said brush shaft in constant positive engagement with said idler gear, said mechanism comprising a rotary cam rigid with said cylinder, a lever fixed to said rocker shaft and cam-follower means on said lever bearing upon said cam.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,074,294 9/1913 Rooney 19225 X 1,408,438 3/1922 Bricka 19234 FOREIGN PATENTS 166,892 7/1921 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner. 

